Lagatar24 Desk
Guwahati: The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), Assam’s main opposition party, has announced its intention to consider taking legal action against the state government’s newly passed bill that mandates the compulsory registration of Muslim marriages and divorces. The bill, officially known as the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024, was passed by the Assam Assembly earlier today.
The bill was introduced by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan on Tuesday and has sparked significant controversy among opposition leaders. AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam expressed strong disagreement with the legislation, pointing out what he described as numerous “loopholes” in the bill.
“There are several flaws in the bill that we have highlighted. We want these issues addressed through amendments. Although the Chief Minister has promised amendments, the bill currently resembles an extension of the Special Marriage Act, which is unacceptable to us,” stated Mr. Islam. He emphasized that the Special Marriage Act applies to all religions, whereas the Assam bill targets only the Muslim community, making the two laws incompatible. As a result, the AIUDF is contemplating taking the matter to court.
Tensions escalated when opposition leaders staged a walkout from the Assembly while Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was discussing an amendment bill aimed at preventing land encroachments around Assam’s iconic structures. The opposition accused the Chief Minister of attempting to “belittle” a particular community along religious lines.
Addressing concerns earlier in the day, Chief Minister Sarma clarified that all previous marriages registered by kazis would remain valid, and only new marriages would fall under the scope of the new legislation. He reassured that the state is not interfering with marriages conducted under Islamic rituals and Muslim Personal Law. However, he noted that the new law would prohibit the registration of marriages that Islam does not permit, such as child marriages.
The Chief Minister further explained that the bill is designed to prevent men from abandoning their wives after marriage and to strengthen the institution of marriage within the Muslim community. He added that the registration of child marriages would be entirely prohibited under this new law.
Traditionally, Muslim marriages in Assam were registered by kazis. However, this new bill mandates that all marriages within the Muslim community be registered with the government, marking a significant shift in the state’s approach to marriage documentation.
